Google is rethinking its current tight grip on Android Auto, TV and Wear and possibly opening the systems to manufacturers to make the same type of software tweaks that they can make on Android smartphones, such as Samsung's TouchWiz or HTC's Sense.
"It's not some Google-way-or-the-highway kind of thing," said Hiroshi Lockheimer, Google's vice president of engineering. "We're trying to find the right balance of differentiation and customization."
Google reportedly simply wants to get things right before it starts offering manufacturers the ability to make changes. Even when device makers start to get more control, Google will be pushing the idea of preinstalled apps rather than drastic interface changes like we see on Android for smartphones.
This stance is a little different than the stand many previously thought Google would take. At Google I/O in June, the company said it would be much more in control of the user interface and code for Android Wear, TV and Auto.
It will be interesting to see just what kinds of changes device makers come up with for the Android operating systems. Some, however, do not want to see changes being made to Android and prefer stock Android options, as Google intended it.
It seems as though Google may also start merging Android and Google's Chrome OS in the near future. One piece of evidence supporting this is the fact that Linus Upton, previously the head engineer for Chrome OS, has moved to a different role, with Lockheimer now overseeing development for the Chrome OS.
Chrome OS is a rival to both Microsoft Windows and Apple OS X, and can be found in Chromebooks.
The division between Chrome OS and Android is similar to that found in Apple devices, in which OS X powers computers and iOS powers iPhone's and iPad's.
Merging the two operating systems would be great for developers who currently have to make two different versions of their software for Chrome OS and Android devices.
Another hint that Google may be starting to merge the two operating systems is the fact the company announced in June that it would begin pushing an initiative to simplify how developers convert Android apps to Android.
While Lockheimer will be responsible for overseeing Chrome OS development, he will not, according to someone close to the matter, be responsible for the Chrome Internet Browser, the Chromecast dongle that ports mobile content onto TVs, or Chromebook hardware.
